To improve the functionality and aesthetic appearance of door hinges and strike plates, do-it-yourself woodworkers (DIYs) typically recess the hinge or strike plate in a side of the door so that the hinge or strike is flush with the side of the door (also referred to as “flush mounted”). To flush mount the hinge or strike plate, a mortise is formed at the desired location along the side of the door. A router is one efficient and timely way to form the mortise.
DIYs will typically use a guide or template to guide the router as the mortise is formed. The template is nailed to the door in the appropriate location to form the mortise. However, as door thicknesses and heights vary, the orientation of the template relative to one door may be different with regard to a second door, such as a door having a larger thickness. Several representative templates for forming these mortises include the “Strike & Latch Template” having model number 59375 and “Door Hinge Template” having model number 59375 of Delta Porter-Cable, headquartered in Jackson, Tenn. These templates include removable locating pins that can be used to adjust the alignment of the templates relative to the thickness of the door. The pins extend through apertures in the template. The template includes numerous apertures that are offset from one another such that one aperture is used for a door of a first thickness, such as two inches, while a second aperture is used for a door of a second thickness, such as 2.25 inches.
The present invention relates to improvements in such templates for forming the mortises for locating and flush mounting door hinges and strike plates.